Illinois vs. Yale preview: Davis, Tisdale hope to show their strength

Tuesday

Nov 23, 2010 at 12:01 AMNov 23, 2010 at 10:00 PM

Weight room projects when they showed up on campus, Illinois senior center Mike Tisdale added 30 pounds from last season, and senior forward Mike Davis put on about 10 pounds, such a noticeable difference in his chest and arms that he chose to change his gameday wardrobe. But in two basketball games in Madison Square Garden last week, the senior big men showed us playing tough is just as much about the mind as the body.

John Supinie

Weight room projects when they showed up on campus, Illinois senior center Mike Tisdale added 30 pounds from last season, and senior forward Mike Davis put on about 10 pounds, such a noticeable difference in his chest and arms that he chose to change his gameday wardrobe.

"No T-shirt this year,'' Davis said.

But in two basketball games in Madison Square Garden last week, the senior big men showed us playing tough is just as much about the mind as the body.

"It's the heart now,'' said Illini guard Demetri McCamey. "Do you have the heart to be the best big man, the heart to get the tough rebounds or the box out on free throws?''

When No. 19 Illinois hosts Yale in a non-conference game Tuesday, the Illini aren't expected to get the same test as they did in the Garden, even though Yale upset Boston College 75-67 and lost a three-pointer to Providence.

As Illinois moves through the next six weeks before hitting Big Ten Conference play, it's about improving. That's also true in the paint, where Tisdale played limited minutes in games against Texas and Maryland with foul trouble while Davis played through a pair of quiet nights. The problem was magnified on free throws, where the Illini failed to get a defensive rebound eight times in the two games, coach Bruce Weber said.

When Weber recruited them, he hoped Davis and Tisdale would grow into big men roles. Tisdale had scoring ability. Davis brought athleticism.

"Obviously, Mike Tisdale was just a skinny 7-foot guy,'' Weber said. "Over the course of time, you knew he'd put weight and strength on. Now, he's got to use it. That's something you can't judge, whether they'll like physical play and deal with it.

"With Mike Davis, I thought his quickness and athleticism would be the thing that makes the difference. When people put bodies on you, you can't use the quickness and jumping ability. They nullify it. You have to deal with contact and still make a play.''

Despite the addition of the talented freshman class and improvement among the sophomores, the seniors remain the nucleus. While the youngsters show more toughness, contributions inside must come from the senior big men.

"They got to deal with physical play,'' Weber said. "Some people just don't like physical play. If they want success, they have to deal with big bodies.''

Tisdale logged just 38 minutes in the two games combined. He left the game with five fouls with 6:44 left in regulation against Texas. Against Maryland, he was gone with 4:21 remaining. His problem is cheap fouls.

"I honestly don't understand it,'' Tisdale said about the foul trouble. "I'm not going to complain. I'm going to keep playing and try to do my best. A lot of them are fouls. I have to adjust and limit those.''

Davis had eight points and 12 rebounds against Texas, then struggled against Maryland -- a team down the road from his home in Alexandria, Va. He put up seven points and four rebounds while fighting foul trouble. When the Illini won the game down the stretch, Davis and Tisdale were on the bench.

"I was just solid,'' Davis said. "I didn't do anything spectacular.''

Yale enters a big underdog. The Illini are 23-2 all-time against Ivy League schools.

"They've already been through some road tests,'' Weber said. "They beat Boston College, played Providence a close game. I anticipate a very well schooled team. They run a lot of sets. They're a pretty good 3-point shooting team.''

Guard Austin Morgan was 6-for-9 from the 3-point line and scored 25 points in the win against Boston College. He's shooting 52.6 percent from the 3-point line.

Noteworthy: Illinois holds a 1-0 series record all-time against Yale, defeating the Bulldogs 71-67 in the NCAA Tournament in Madison Square Garden in 1949. The Illini are 23-2 all-time against the Ivy League. . . Illinois scored 80 points or more in four straight games, its longest stretch at that pace since the 2004-05 season. . . Sixth man Brandon Paul is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game. . .

Key for Illini: Keep focused on improving, even against heavy underdogs.

Key for Bulldogs: Heat up from the 3-point line.

Key quote: "We've put on the strength and the weight in the offseason. Now we have to use it. It's a matter of heart.'' -- Illinois forward Bill Cole.

Betting line:

Prediction: Illinois 83, Yale 60

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